Long Lost Lover Found Again
by Lady Kagewaki
Summary: Luke had a first time too, but with who? This is a tale of a lover woven in and out of different phases in the great jedi's life. I don't own anything Star Wars related. It's my first Star Wars fanfic, Please Review!  Edited
1. Part 1: Youth

Part 1: Youth

A young human man, perhaps 17 or 18 standard human years stood outside the entrance to a secret chamber. The outside of the chamber appeared like a simple rock over hang, with no deeper shelter, with the exception of a small metal plate hidden beneath a thin layer of sand. The young man's fair hair fluttered in the breeze, bleached by the twin suns that battered backwater, desert planet of Tatooine. His blue eyes searched the canyon, hoping to see who he was waiting for. His tan farmer's hand gripped a small square of paper, causing more crinkles than his initial nervous habit of folding notes had done. He heard the echo of an approaching speeder.

A young woman, perhaps younger than him on first inspection, brought her transport, the same make and model as his uncle's but in an olive green, to a stop next to the entrance. As she checked the contents of the bag he approached. "Hello there!" he said with a smile. She stood with her bag and he extended a hand to help her down out of the transport.

She wore a faded green cloak with a large hood. When she turned to face him he saw she was quite beautiful because even in the deserts of Tatooine she managed to keep her skin fair as ivory. Her hair was a reddish blonde that tumbled down ever her shoulders in loose ringlets. Her light green eyes twinkled as she smiled broadly and eagerly.

"I'm Luke Skywalker" said the young man. He was pleased with what he saw

"I'm Taryn" she also was pleased. It would make her job all the easier she thought.

Luke nervously looked at the paper, and then one of the suns which began to creep over the edges of the deep canyon they were in. "Well, I found the place, but Biggs said you would have the code" said Luke as they walked towards the overhang. Biggs had told Luke about a girl he called when he felt lonely.

The barren lifeless desert planet did not provide much relief for rural young men in relation to sex. Call girls and prostitutes were not all the unusual. Luke was hesitant to accept the contact info from Biggs, but a moment of weakness brought him to the canyon. Luke called Biggs's girl, but she was unavailable. She recommended a new comer, a girl interested in making some quick cash. Luke liked the idea of a girl who had not been exposed to all the raunchy elements of the seedier side of the local cities. She appeared a pure, clean young woman.

"Yep" she smiled. Her voice was small and quiet. Almost childlike. She pulled out a shred of white paper and searched around for the panel.

Luke crouched down and dusted off the panel "Here" He said "I found it while I was waiting."

"Ah" she crouched down and he admired her smooth looking skin on her arms, and her delicate hands. After she examined her paper and entered the code the door groaned open quickly. They stepped inside.

While prostitution was not illegal it was a personal matter and discretion was preferred, hence the secret meeting place. Luke didn't want his uncle and especially his aunt to know what he was up to. He left his communicator off, told Biggs when his point was to create an alibi, and hoped it would all go smoothly.

They stood in pitch black for a second while the lights slowly began to gain a soft glow. It was very dim at first and then the light began to warm up and softly illuminate the room. It was a small cramped space. It was a storage space long since abandoned by its owner. It had been stripped of anything of value over the years and was nothing but an empty shell used for private meetings and likely nefarious deeds.

Taryn dropped her hood and fluffed her hair before removing her cloak with care. She held it by the shoulders, allowing the billowy hood to drop. "So, is this your first time?" she asked casually as she met the two shoulders of her worn cloak. She looked at him and knew the answer.

Luke shook his head "No, no" he shook his hand for emphasis. "Of course not" he smiled nervously.

She folded the cloak over her arm and said "Oh. Well this is my first job, actually."

His eyebrows were raised with surprise. He stroked his own arm with his opposite hand signaling his nerves to Taryn. She decided to play along. "How do you like it?" she asked.

When his eyes bugged at the question and he stuttered "Uh, the, well, the usual."

He dropped his hands to his side and Taryn approached. She pinched the folds of his eggshell colored Tunic. She followed the folds and slid her fingers down to his utility belt. He swallowed anxiously. She looked up at him and brushed his shaggy blonde hair back behind his ear. He watched her hand carefully as it traveled back down to his tunic.

She whispered "Luke, it's okay. I won't hurt you she giggled "Unless that's the usual for you."

He looked down at the ground, embarrassed it was so obvious he had lied. He looked at her outfit and smirked. She wore nothing unusual; it was a rather ordinary tunic dress in the same grayish sandy color that was popular in the area. There was some worn white crochet work around the neck and she cinched the dress with a heavy brown leather belt. He reached up and put his fingers on the crochet work. It was worn, and a bit tattered, but clean and bright white. Everything in Luke's world was worn and tattered, tired and old. His finger tips traced the crochet around her collar and slid up her neck. "How do you stay out of the sun here?"

He was entranced by her skin, stroking her neck. "Most of my work has been indoors, and at night" she explained.

He was becoming more comfortable with her. He dropped his hand and gently stroked her two arms as they hung loose at her sides. She was the one feeling tense now. He could somehow sense hesitation and said "Relax. I won't hurt you."

He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close. Taryn could feel how eager he was and how ready he was through his leggings. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes. He instinctively leaned in to bring his lips to hers and she almost allowed it. She slipped her index finger up between their lips just in the nick of time. She pushed him back a bid and said "Not on the lips."

He grimaced and he nodded his understanding, his eyes still holding hers from under his shaggy blonde bangs. He took her head in to his hands and kissed her forehead. She smiled at the sweetness of his gesture and touched his wrist. He lifted her chin and kissed her ivory neck and pulled her closer. She dropped her head back and his lips traveled to her collarbone. She was enjoying the job. 'I'm lucky to feel this way. Lucky to have a sweet young man. A cute sweet young man. I shouldn't be doing this.'

Luke traveled back up and kissed her neck. He pulled at the belt on her tunic, and it fell to the floor. Their breath came faster. She reveled in his hot breath on her neck. As the light became stronger a bed was revealed by the brighter bulb. It was a full size with a tattered green blanket and two matching pillows which had patches. She fell backwards onto the bed, delighted by its softness. She spread her legs and he lay on top of her. She skittered back and lifted her legs on to the bed. He was right behind her, pulling her tunic over her head. She was nude – His eyes swept her body in the dim light bulb. Her breasts were full and he quickly cupped one in his hand. She enjoyed the fascination which crossed his face and giggled at his reaction. He smiled reflexively and slid his hand down to her thigh.

He gripped her breast and began to suck on her nipple. She hooked her finger on his tunic and slid it downward, opening it up. He reached behind himself and unhooked his utility belt, and pushed it with a thud to the ground. He began to nuzzle and kiss her neck again. She tugged downward on the rim of his leggings. He quickly shed them, kicking them to the dusty floor.

They righted themselves on the bed and lay length wise across the clean blanket. His hips lined up with hers and she felt his erection on her thigh. She reached down and guided him inside of her. He grunted at the unfamiliar pleasure. The act was not awkward, but was quick and abrupt. Taryn knew for certain it was his first time.

They lay side by side on the blanket. "I'm sorry" he mumbled. "I…I don't know what…"

Taryn smiled knowingly and rolled on her side to face him. "Its okay, Luke. That's how it is the first time."

He looked down at his feet which hung out from underneath the blanket. He brought his youthful gaze back to meet hers.

"How about the second time?" He asked in all sincerity. She chucked and said "I think it's a little different. I assume you'll become more um…" she wanted to be encouraging "used to it over time."

As far as Taryn was concerned he had all elements of a wonderful lover. He was considerate, tender and fit. While the experience was shorter than she expected it had been enjoyable. She reluctantly sat up and slid out from under the blanket.

She squatted down trying to hide as much of herself from him as she could, to reach for her dress on the floor.

She picked up and dusted it off, wrapping the sand out with two strong snaps.

"What're you doing?" He asked, propped up on an elbow.

"Getting dressed" she replied.

"Hey, now, I paid for the full hour" he whined.

Taryn was a bit afraid she may have misjudged her innocent farm boy. She saw his bright white smile and relaxed. "Sorry" she said, looking at her watch. She slid back to him, unable to help herself. 'So much for not becoming attached to clients.' She skipped back over to the bed and crawled back in. A while later they lay again spooning in silence. Luke lay behind her tracing her curves with his fingertips. He noticed a few marks on her hips. They were horizontal lines, a bit uneven. They were pink and yet shimmered in the light.

She tensed a bit as he touched them and he immediately intuited she was self conscious. "Are they scars?" he whispered his lips close to her ear. She giggled and then he felt her mood change again. Sadness swirled in her mood. He wanted to be encouraging and said "I think they're kinda neat, but how they shimmer."

She sighed. Naiveté had its drawbacks "Stretch marks."

"Huh?"

"It's when your skin stretches to catch up with the rest of you."

"I don't understand."

"Like when you're growing or when a woman has a baby. The skin get's stretched too far around the belly or hips and stuff."

"Oh…" he said as he consumed the new knowledge. "Oh!" he blurted realizing she just told him she was a mother "Oh, no!" he said upset.

"Look, it's not that big of a deal" she said getting defensive.

"Sleeping with another man's wife, not a big DEAL? In my book it is! What if he comes looking for me? I don't want a fight. I didn't sign up for that!"

He stopped yammering when he saw her giggling at him. "What's so funny?" He asked suspicious.

"You…their father isn't in the picture anymore." She turned away from him to hide her shame and her sadness.

"Oh," he said embarrassed by his own reaction.

"I think my time is up" she said hugging her pillow.

"Well, okay" he said knowing she was right this time. As she once again slid away to pick up her dress he asked "So, is it alright if I request you again?"

He sat up and inched towards the edge of the bed. She pulled her tunic dress over her head again and said "Well, I…"she was going to tell him that this was the only time she was going to do this, but instead said "sure."

He smiled wide and dressed himself. The two hopped into their transports and left. Taryn felt she had dodged major perils of the profession and her anxiety began to rise. As she drove across the desert she turned on her transmitter. "Hey Shylar I uh…" Her eyes scanned the endless sands around her as she drove. "I'm not doing this anymore. That was my one and only job."

A woman's voice on the other end asked "Was he _that_ bad? Biggs said he was a nice kid!"

Taryn sighed and said "He was nice. The nicest. I just feel like I shouldn't tempt fate. He couldn't have been sweeter. I'm not willing to risk a bad trick in the future. I've got a little boy at home. He can't have a mama who ends up sick or dead."

Shylar sighed and tried to convince her to stay once more. "We have good customers! Referrals only. You know the schpeil."

"No Shylar. I'll go back to dish cleaning or there's that new inn in town, they'll likely need a cleaning lady. I can't, I just can't'."

"Alright" said Shylar. "Keep in touch, and let me know if you change your mind, honey."

"Take care, Shaylar!"

Taryn drove straight into the nearby town of Mos Rina and applied at the Inn right away. A few weeks passed and Taryn was happy with her decision. She was walking home from her morning shift through the dusty markets of Mos Rina when she heard someone calling her name. She looked around and saw Shylar and a few of her ladies fanning themselves under an overhang outside a restaurant. Shylar was a middle aged human woman with a pile of orange curled locks on top of her head. Her skin was worn form life in the desert and she tried to hide the sun damage with white powder. Her other features were painted heavily, red lips and aqua over her eyes. Her eyes were what caught her customers when she was younger. They were a fiery golden color. Shylar earned enough as a working girl to pay off her slave debt and become a madam of her own.

The two other ladies appeared younger versions of Shylar. Taryn was lucky enough to have been born free and only worked for Shylar that one single time.

Taryn approached and Shylar asked "Have you hard, dearie?"

"Heard what?"

"About your customer?" Shylar slowly fanned herself with a bright red paper fan.

Taryn looked around, afraid someone might overhear. She took a few steps closer and said "No, what?"

"He's gone missing!"

"What? Oh, that's a terrible thing!"

"That's not the worst of it. He's probably dead."

"No! How come? Why would you say that?" Taryn was afraid for the naïve young man. Her heart went out to him, wherever he might have landed.

"A vaporator maintenance worker went out on a routine appointment and found the Lars farm burned out!" Taryn was too stunned to reply. "It looked like Sand People, but we all know it had to be the empire. That kid musta gotten mixed up in something' a bit too rebellious if you ask me."

Taryn felt awful for her young farm boy and tired to put it out of her mind. "Terrible" she muttered. "But what can you do?" said one of Shylar's ladies. "What can you do?"


	2. Part 2: Adulthood

Part 2: Adulthood

Years later Taryn walked with her boyfriend towards a well to do block of apartments in the district of Coruscant , previously limited to the upper echelon of Imperial Society. Taryn had changed significantly and could hardly believe she was going to a cocktail party in this district. Her boyfriend, Tai, worked as a business man as a salesman in the hospitality industry.

Taryn had left her home world of Tatooine many years earlier. She had moved up from a dish washer to the general manager of the Inn. She left Tatooine in an effort to find a role in a better place with better pay. She knew she could never take the Inn over from the owner, and never make all that much more money where she was. Her son was showing great promise academically and she wanted to send him to a great school.

Taryn left her son with Shylar who had since retired and the young mother took off to the galaxy's capital. She found a job with a modest income and soon sent for her little boy. She continued to jump at every opportunity and soon found herself in a position of relative ease. She sent her son to a reputable academy and eventually met the man she walked with that night.

Taryn had died her hair to a luscious dark chocolate brown and gained a healthy amount of weight. She filled out into a beautiful woman. Her human boyfriend was the tall dark and handsome type with chiseled features and a roguish smile. The twinkle in his eye convinced her she needed to order more napkins than her 3rd district hotels could use in a lifetime.

"This way, dear" he directed her down a cobblestone patch.

She wore a fitted black dress which stopped mid-calf. The plunging sleeveless V-neck was lined with a red satin piping along the neckline and the bottom edge of the skirt. She carried a designer handbag and unconsciously touched her long hair, which she left down.

"You look wonderful, darling" said Tai, as though he already knew what she was thinking.

"Thank you, Tai" she said, smiling.

They walked up the path and a protocol security droid greeted them at the doorway. They entered the party and began to mingle. It was a diverse crowd, to be expected from the megalopolis. Taryn kept her eyes open for the host, Tai's cousin, but didn't see him. They all stood in a simple, sparsely furnished room where there were possibly fifty guests by Taryn's count. People came and went in and out the door. Tai finished a conversation with a stranger, and a possible new client then joined Taryn at a stationary snack table where she grazed on a few simple cracker snacks. Droids moved about, offering hot horduvours and premixed drinks.

Tai said "I wonder if he's going to make his announcement" then took a sip of his drink.

"The running for Senate thing?" whispered Taryn.

Tai chuckled at Taryn. She was petite with big eyes and now and then he was charmed by how cute she was. She understood why he was laughing, and finished her cracker snack and playful hit him on the shoulder. As their chuckling slowed she froze her jaw and her eyes bugged.

Tai, still smiling, followed her line of sight to the front door. "Well how about that?" said Tai. "I didn't know my cousin knew the Hero of the Galaxy. He's a shoe in for that junior senator spot if he keeps company like that.

Taryn was stunned. It had been years, but she knew him immediately. While he was older, more mature, and somehow more worldly, she would never forget her one and only customer, Luke Skywalker. She felt a blossom of passion open in her heart, but it quickly shriveled. She was afraid of her past being revealed to Tai. He knew very little about her early years, and he didn't ask questions. She appreciated it, but at the same time was afraid that her past would be the end of her fairy tale relationship with Tai.

Luke was greeted by a few who knew him personally, General Wedge Antilles for one, and a few others of varying alien races.

Taryn tried to look away, but she couldn't. Soon their eyes locked from across the room, but recognition didn't wash over his face. Tai's cousin, Sairam appeared, and spoke a few words to his esteemed guest. Tai's cousin pointed in their direction and Taryn panicked. Without hurry the two men began to make their way through the crowd, Luke seemingly oblivious to the smiles and stares. Taryn recouped and hid her feelings immediately. She thought about the surprise and strange pride she had when the news of the Battle of Yavin and their unlikely local hero finally trickled into town.

Taryn's mind brought her back to years gone past…

Taryn sat eating a sandwich that had a bit too much sand for her liking during her lunch break at the Inn at Mos Rina. She overhead two patrons talking about the event in the booth behind her while she worked on her sandwich.

"Yeahsh" slurred the bosk. "Luke Sschkywalker. Apparently, he'sch a local Ssss."

"Hero at Yavin? How did he blow up such a big thing as the Death Star? One shot no less!"

Taryn wanted to get more info, but didn't want to link herself and her shady past with his name. She swallowed her food and continued to listen. She wasn't sure what a Death Star was, but it sounded big and bad. After her break she got right on the holonet and looked up as much as she could. 'So he didn't die after all!'

After the feeling of relief, she left those memories there, never expecting to come face to face with him again.

"Excuse me" said the Jedi politely, bringing Taryn back to the present. Taryn gawked at him, a bit entranced by a new aura she found about him.

The corner of Luke's mouth tugged into a smirk and she flushed bright red.

Tai tugged Taryn's arm and she stepped towards her boyfriend, out of the way.

Sairam and Tai exchanged greetings and Taryn managed a smile. Sairam pulled an antique off the shelf from behind the snack table. "I figured where else would be the best place to hide it, but in plain sight?" said Sairam.

He handed Master Skywalker an old leather bound book. Taryn noted it had a dark brown hyde cover and the pages were yellowed with age.

"Thanks Sai" said Luke with a broad smile. "This is going to make a find addition to the academy's library."

Sai became serious and said "I firmly believe in the Jedi cause. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help your academy."

Tai butted into the conversation "Academy?"

Sairam looked at his younger cousin and said "Yes, haven't you head? Master Skywalker is building a Jedi Academy. I found this book through a dealer of antiques. When I brought it to a restoration service I was able to page through it a bit; it's a book of tales. Tales of the Jedi."

Luke gripped the book by the spine and tested its heft in his hand. "I don't know if their historical or just parables yet, but this is going to be a great help either way."

Sairam smiled "No problem. Anything to help."

The host gestured to the snack table and invited Luke to enjoy himself at the party. Luke smiled and accepted and Taryn wondered if the Jedi was ambushed into arriving at the party. Taryn assumed Luke was no stranger to politics and realized he owed it to Sairam to stay, even if only for a while.

Sairam left to attend to other guests and Taryn and Tai both noted a fleeting moment of awkwardness from the seasoned warrior. To prevent an awkward lull from continuing Tai asked the Jedi "Weren't you born on Tatooine?"

Luke's eyes turned their slightly haunted gaze on Tai. "I'm not sure yet where I was born, but I was most certainly raised there."

Taryn went into a panic. 'Oh poodoo. Tai! I don't' want to talk about his! He doesn't seem to remember or recognize me and I don't want my indiscretions to come to light!'

Tai responded "My girlfriend grew up there as well, right Taryn?"

She nodded "Mmhm" she grunted in confirmation.

Luke blinked and squinted a tad. "Do I know you?" he asked more than certain he did.

Taryn's heart raced but after years of learning to keep her cool in business she applied it to this situation with ease. Her heart raced and fears of her dirty laundry gripped her lungs.

Luke recognized her, and sensed it was her. A question burned in his gut for some time, and he yearned to ask. He was glad to see Taryn looking healthy and well over all. He tried to give her some security in the way he phrased the question but immediately regretted bringing up his recognition of her. To his surprise her outward demeanor reflected none of the fears which swirled around inside her. She was positively charming.

She smiled and said "Why Master Skywalker I think if I had met a man as handsome as you on that rock I'd remember it.

Luke could feel his cheeks blush and he tried to hide his smile but was rather unsuccessful. Luke could sense Tai didn't find any humor in the situation. Tai broke into Luke and Taryn's secret reunion with "Well I guess it is an entire plant. Lots of cities and settlements."

Taryn continued the line of conversation with more confidence. "What area did you live in?"

Luke thought it a reasonable question. They didn't' really get to know each other the one time they met. "I lived on a moisture farm outside the Toshi station."

"Near Mos Eisley?" asked Taryn for clarification.

"It was a bit of a long ride, but yes. In the space between" he smiled, thinking of his well meaning protectors, his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. "And what about you?"

"Well, I grew up mostly in Mos Rina, and the surrounding areas."

Tai put his hand on her shoulder almost as a reminder he was there. Luke sensed a bit of deception in her answer, but didn't think it worth pressing. They chatted a bit more about the natural formations near their respective home towns and about some of the famous or infamous people with resided there.

Luke itched to speak with Taryn alone. Not to seduce her or threaten her relationship with Tai, but he wanted to speak plainly and openly. To ask her why he couldn't find her after that first visit? What happened to her? Does Tai even know about her child? How did she make it to Courscant? How was she doing? Could he help her? Did she even need help?

Luke sensed Tai's irritation and decided to back off. There were a few others he wanted to say hello to, and listened to The Force. It was telling him to move away for the moment. "Excuse me" he said after a clever quip. "There are a few others I'd need to say hi to." Luke nodded to Tai saying "Nice to meet you, Tai" and merely nodded and said "Taryn"

She smiled back at him wishing she could say more. Taryn and Tai started chatting with another couple, and after another drink Tai excused himself to use the facilities.

Luke appeared at the snack table and Taryn felt drawn to him. He was leaning over the table a bit examining the book collection on Sairam's shelf.

Taryn walked up to the table and put her hand on a slim hidden pocket on her hip while she looked over the remains of the snack table. She pulled her hand from her pocket, and put a business card hidden in the palm of her flat on the table. She slid it closer to Luke and walked off. He casually put his hand down over the card and slipped it covertly into the folds of his robes. When he turned again he spotted a stern looking Tai guiding Taryn out the door. He pulled the card out of his pocket and saw an address and phone number written there.

Outside Taryn shuffled in her high heels to keep up with Tai. "Tai, slow down!"

"If you can't keep up why not head back to your handsome Jedi in there!"

Taryn stopped, wondering if Tai had seen her pass Luke her contact info. "What's wrong with you?" she asked stunned a tad of flirting and friendly chat would upset him so much. Taryn didn't know what would come her passing her personal info along, but she knew she wanted to keep in touch, even just as acquaintances.

Tai stopped and said "I have the feeling…the two of you got along too well."

Taryn was confused. 'Where did my price charming go?' "I admit I went a bit far with my first comment, but I think you're over reacting!"

He didn't acknowledge her statement. "Let's go back to my place."

"No…I think I'll just head home to mine" she said disappointed in the new side of Tai. She walked up to him to give him a good night kiss before she headed in a different direction. He grabbed her arm forcibly and said "I want to talk about this."

Taryn looked at his grip and though he wasn't hurting her she was alarmed. "Let go of me" she said quietly.

He loosened his grip and said "I'm sorry, I just, I don't want to lose you. You're perfect!"

He smiled and Taryn looked away. She spotted an old fashioned bench off the smooth permacrete path which over looked the cityscape from behind an invisible protective field. It was night time and the city sparkled, so much so she didn't miss the stars it blotted out. "Let's talk here" she said gesturing to the bench.

They say down and Taryn told him almost everything. She didn't mention her stint as a prostitute, but she told him she didn't actually grow up in Mos Rina, but in a caravan of nomads. She didn't get to the city until later in life. She knew Tai would not look at her heritage with understanding, and she was ashamed she had hidden it for so long.

She didn't look at him when she explained how her grandmother made money for them after everyone else in their group had been wiped out by Tusken Raiders. Making shrunken head trophies for local bounty hunters and riff raff. Creating 'Special' spices for the same crowd and even healing some of them for a price. Taryn herself was a spice mule. Who would suspect a little girl in a neighborhood as stable as Mos Rina?

It was all Tai needed to hear. He told Taryn he, like his cousin, had political aspirations. She was now a liability. She wasn't surprised and knew he would cut his losses. They parted and went to the respective apartments.

Taryn, a bit zombie-like went straight to her main terminal and changed her passwords. She knew Tai was doing the same. They would continue to do business together and both had to be cautious.

She sent a netmail to her son to check in, to tell him she loved him, and to share the news. She lazily shuffled through her luxurious apartment. The muted colors unconsciously soothed her and she manually dimed the lights. She sank into her sofa and kicked her heels off.

Her silver protocol droid walked stiffly into the room and in her prissy feminine voice said "Mistress Taryn, I was not expecting you home."

Taryn rubbed her temples and sighed "Can you draw a bath for me? Warm with bubbles?"

"As you wish" The droid waddled away with unblinking visual receptors casting a glow ahead of her.

Taryn lay out on the couch and began to drift into a lonely sleep when the voice of her droid woke her "The bath is ready? Asked Taryn.

"No Mistress, you have a visitor."

Luke stood about two meters away; a look of concern knit his brow. "I'm sorry" he said when her eyes met his.

"It's okay" she said a smile warming her face. "CC, Can you bring Master Skywalker a refreshment?"

"No, that's not necessary" he said "I had enough at the party"

CC looked back at Taryn for confirmation. "I'd like a red fruit juice. Iced."

"Yes ma'am" said the droid and shuffled off towards the kitchen in another room.

Taryn righted herself and said "Please have a set!"

She tapped the spot on the couch next to her but Luke took a sat at one of two free standing single seats across from the couch she was on. His brown and cream robes coordinated well with the tan furniture and Taryn couldn't help but continue smiling. Luke wasn't smiling but wasn't frowning.

Taryn sat, trying to read his neutral face, a thousand and one questions bubbling up inside her. She didn't know where to start, and was a bit relieved when he did.

"Was it that bad? That you quit?" he chuckled.

Taryn was stunned and she sputtered "No! "

Luke smiled a t her response and began to fidget somewhat with his hands. He looked at his hands while he rubbed them together then up through his brow, smirking and smiling. "I'll admit I was relieved you got out of…that line of work, but I've wondered what's happened to you." He quit his anxious movements and sat back, sinking into the chair.

"I knew, that day" she said remembering "If I were to take another job it wouldn't have come close to you."

Luke slightly furrowed his brown and dropped his head to his side, questioningly.

"It was a really nice day" she admitted. "You were kind; you were considerate, and clean. Good looking. Tender. All the things a good lover is. I knew even if the next customer was nice, it would be less enjoyable. It _wouldn't_ be enjoyable. I know Shyler screened the clients rigorously, but it's still possible to get a bad see."

Luke crossed his leg and seemed to draw back into himself. Taryn couldn't read him like she did when they first met and cast her eyes down to the peach carpet. "Then where'd my son be? I felt t like that with you I'd been given a free pass. A chance to consider what I was doing. I lucked out, but didn't want to take the chance again." CC returned with the red fruit juice. The ice clinked in the glass as the droid rested it on the table.

Luke nodded and said "I'm glad." He leaned forward to stand and leave.

Taryn said "Tai broke up with me tonight. After the party."

Luke settled back into the chair and his brow was furrowed with concern "Why?"

"At first he was annoyed I was so flirtatious with you. He stormed off, we fought. As we made up he said he was sorry because he really viewed me as perfect and thought that was realistic. I knew I had hidden quite a bit from him. Things about my past. I began to reveal things and he couldn't handle it, well, he didn't _want_ to handle it. Then he said he had plans to run or office. I was a liability. The end."

Luke was surprised at the suddenness of the break, and didn't know what to say to her. Taryn watched Luke carefully and said "Don't worry. I didn't tell him everything, not about us."

Luke nodded and asked "What did you tell him?"

Taryn sighed, weary and not looking forward to more rejection that night. Luke could sense her apprehension and took a few steps across towards the couch and took a seat next to her. "It's alright. I know it was a hard place to live. Even in the nicer settlements."

"Why do you want to know so badly?' She eyed him, suspicious. She crossed her legs away from him but kept a keen eye on him an he draped an arm over the back of the sofa so he could face her more directly.

"Because I want to know you. I've been given a chance to meet with you again and I'd should take the opportunity to ask you things I never had the chance to."

"Like what?" she turned back to him, still afraid of more rejection, but willing to take a chance.

"Like were you born in Mos Rina?"

"No, I…" she hesitated, realizing she had not hidden everything from Tai. He had never asked. He assumed. "I was born in caravan. My people were nomads. We traveled through the Pink Sands Desert and across the Telvus Rocks for centuries. "

Luke didn't quite understand immediately, but his eyebrows jumped once he made the connection. "Mos Rina is in between the Pinks and Telvus."

"Yeah. Year after year, my grandfather said the little outpost grew and grew. At first I was a few tents and a single building they passed on the Route of Life. Then, within a few years it was already blocking the path. They were draining our reservoirs."

Luke was familiar with the conflicts that rose. The nomads of Tatooine often found themselves having to defend their resources from settlers. Sometimes violently. Luke thought it best not to ask which route Taryn's clan decided on, unless she wanted to discuss it.

After a lull in the conversation she said "My grandfather said the elders knew these settlers had powerful weapons and it was best if we avoided conflict. We walked around the town until it became too large, then we began to use their roads through the town. The townspeople didn't like that and looked down on us, calling us filthy desert heathens. We managed though."

Luke had heard of gypsies and nomads traveling through Mos Rina but never knew why it wasn't still occurring. The nomads disappeared. "What happened?" he asked.

Taryn gently fingered the hem of her dress. "Sand people. They attacked us. For centuries there was enough for the nomads and for them, but once the settlements appeared …we weren't expecting an attack. We were a group of nearly 90. Only I and my grandmother survived. We had no choice but to move into the city. Darkburn Lane."

For the most part Mos Rina was a decent and safe city. There were schools, a medical center, and a spiritual temple open to a variety of faiths. Slaves were a rarity, but still present. Mos Rina was fairly wealthy but even in the oasis of Mos Rina there was a seedy underbelly. There was Darkburn Lane. Darkburn Lane was a street which led to a section of the city where the undesirables lived; Thieves, prostitutes, spice dealers. The word Darkburn came to describe the entire ghetto in Mos Rina, not just the main road there.

Luke wasn't surprised then at how he met her. "To grow up there must have been difficult." He said, realizing what an understatement he was making just as his words hit the air.

Taryn nodded, smoothing out the red satin ribbon on her dress. "My grandmother was smart. She made the small deals with the bounty hunters and helped them out, for a price. They became a bit protective. But it didn't stop the need we had to pay rent. A totally foreign concept. Rent? I'm forced t stop my migration and on top of it I have to pay to stop? Messed up."

Luke chuckled and he said "Well you're certainly in a different place now." Her apartment was luxurious and full of high quality items.

"I sure am. I still have those moments though. When I have to adjust to permanence. It's actually a bit scary at times."

"How so?" Luke was fascinated.

"While as a nomad your settings change constantly, your relationships and the people in your life are permanent. Never changing. Binding. Relationships in a stationary life are most fleeting. No one has a true sense of obligation. You can all run away at any time."

"Your son?" Luke said, putting the pieces together.

She nodded. "I was seeing someone and we had lots of fun. He seemed nice. Then when I got pregnant he dropped me like a hot rock. My grandmother welcomed the news, and so did I. I mean, who just leaves their pregnant lover? In the clan men are careful in their decisions regarding women. It can make or break a clan if there is internal dispute. Also it can cause a war between clans if he acts dishonorably. They chose their women carefully and when they found her they don't abandon her. They can't! They're bound to their group. If they had a child and denied his responsibility he'd be turned out into the desert. It's suicide."

Luke felt for Taryn. He imagined her, just a teenager, a girl, with little or no understanding of a static society, being lashed by its rules. He reached a hand out to her without thinking. It landed softly on her shoulder and accepted it and leaned towards him. She came close and soon his arm was around her shoulder. She then sought comfort in his arms. He held her and rested his chin on her head, holding her tight with one arm and stroking her long hair with the other.

He slid his hand into her chocolate locks and watched as the silky strands slid through his fingers. "This color suits you" he mumbled.

She turned her head, and backed up slightly to look at him. She noticed he nervously swallowed. A bit of the farm boy she knew was surfacing. "It really makes the color in your eyes pop."

She didn't respond with words but glanced at his lips, as a sign to welcome his advances.

The hand which had played in her hair slid to her jaw. He leaned his face close to hers hesitating for a moment so he could confirm her acceptance with the looks that passed between them. He then pressed his lips to hers. Taryn saw stars.

She hadn't realized how much he had changed since their first meeting. He embraced her, their lips still pulsing. She felt how he had filled out across his chest and his arms were much stronger. He had grown up into a fine man. He pulled away and said to her "You don't know how long I have wondered what that kiss would be like and how frequently you have come to my mind. I've wondered what it would be like to kiss you for so long."

She smiled and whispered "Was it worth the wait?"

"Absolutely" he whispered back before diving in again. He held her tighter and she couldn't help but give in. She felt as though she was melting into his embrace. She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. His hand dropped to her waist as their kissing became more intense. Her body was thrilled by his hands as they traveled up her curvaceous waist and back down over her hip and finally resting on her thigh.

She allowed her hands to drop from his neck and slid down his chest. She grabbed his thighs and slowly rubbed them. She made sure her thumbs ran the length of his inner thighs. She made a daring move knowing he would take it slowly without her explicit approval. She found his manhood, stiffening, but bound by the layers of his pants and robes. She began to rub it with more confidence and he broke their embrace.

"Okay" he said as they caught their breath. "I think I should go"

Taryn was stunned "But…What…"

"I don't want to hurt you. I'm not really in place where I can commit to you."

He had recovered his composure and Taryn was speechless. "I…"

He looked at her, brushing some wayward strands away from her face.

She found her voice and said "I know. I just thought…I thought we were enjoying the moment here. I wasn't expecting…" Taryn realized she had inadvertently set herself up for this with the conversation they had just had. "I'm a grown woman now for blasts sake" she looked away, grumbling. Then her intuition kicked in and she figured out a reason for his resistance to such a pleasure. She looked up at him "There's a woman you're interested in, isn't there?"

Luke sat back and grimaced unpleasantly.

Taryn knew she was on to something "That red head! The gossip anchor on the news talked about it. How could I have forgotten?" She said to herself "Mara-"

"She's not interested in me. That way, anyhow" he admitted.

Taryn raised her eyebrows "Why not?"

He chuckled. "We're…different. I think I just need to give her time. Space."

"Don't give her too much. She might think you're not interested if you do that."

"I see her enough that it should not work out that way."

"Just trying to help" said Taryn laying down on the couch. He leaned back and sighed. She realized he hadn't gotten up to leave and giggled "The great Luke Skywalker needs in epic love story."

He shook his head "The great? No. Certainly not."

"The naive, maybe? The sweet?" she nudged him playfully with her black stockinged foot. She paused then with extra emphasis said "The hung"

"Oh! Hahahaha" they both laughed and she said "You'd probably die of embarrassment. So modest, look at you" she nudged him playfully, again. This time he grabbed her foot, and pulled her by the leg, just to tease her. He let go and gently rubbed her ankle. They were enjoying a nice easy time and he was surprised there wasn't more tension. His smile faded into consternation.

Taryn immediately sat up and crawled over to him "No no no! Why are you frowning? We're having a good time!" she cooed. His smile reemerged and she stroked his cheek. "It'll work out. She'll come around"

"I hope" he said taking her hand in his. She squeezed his hand and kissed his forehand. His blue gray eyes looked up at her and reflected the wide eye farm boy she had once known. She could tell he saw something nostalgic which he recognized in her as well. As she ran her fingers through his hair, in a sweet comforting manner he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. He drew her close and kissed her. She wanted him, surely, but she hesitated. He cared about that other woman. She didn't want to ruin that for him.

He smiled at her hesitation and said "So you're a big flirt, but now you're not sure?"

"Oh I'm sure I want you," she responded immediately" but I don't want to ruin what you want."

He chuckled and said "Maybe it's right here."

She slid down into his arms then straightened his hair with her finger tips.

She had known enough men to know he would change his mind later. "Either we go for it, or we don't" she said.

In one smooth move he went for it. Taryn found him on top of her before she knew it. He was kissing her and while he pressed himself against her she wasn't crushed. His touch was familiar though it had been many years since they had been together. She dropped one foot to the floor, welcoming his hips to hers. His kisses dropped to her neck while his hand roamed her hour glass figure.

She stroked his back and while he showered her neck and décolletage with kisses she said, breathlessly, "Why don't uh..." She closed her eyes to better feel the sensation of his body against hers. Before she was completely lost she finished her thought "We go into my, um…my bedroom."

He came up for air and nodded his agreement. He stood, and before Taryn could bring, both feet to the ground he scooped her up into his arms and she whooped as he lifted her.

Luke smirked, almost afraid to smile at what he was doing. Taryn pointed down one of two hallways "That way" she whispered.

He nodded, his smile breaking through and took her into the hallway. She pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. The motion sensor silently slid the door to her bedroom open and he took her into her bed chamber.

In the morning Taryn slowly fluttered open her eyes and saw an empty pillow beside her. She then sensed a weight near the foot of her bed and looked up. She saw Luke's bare back and the back of his sandy haired head. His shoulders slumped as the weight of the galaxy pressed down on them, and his head bowed.

She leaned forward and crawled out, nude, from the luxurious sheets of white satin. He raised his head, but did not look at her. She slid her hands on his back, up over his shoulder. He responded to her touch by sitting up. She knew what he was thinking. It was a mistake. He cared for this other woman and he regretted what they had done.

She rubbed his shoulders a bit and put her lips close to his ear. "Don't feel bad. What we had last night was wonderful." She caressed his arms and kissed his earlobe.

He nodded. He looked over to his left, and into her eyes. He quickly averted his gaze, but plastered a smile Taryn knew was fake on his face.

She backed off after giving him a reassuring squeeze. "Where are you headed?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see the pink of her nipples slide back under the sheets. Her bedroom was full of cream, white, and dark hard woods. There was something striking about her fair face against the thick dark brown headboard which stood solid at the head of the bed.

She responded "I understand you need to go off and build your school. Where do you think you'll go?"

"Oh...Well, I have a few ideas, but I have one, sorta, remote place in mind."

"Oh? Where's that?" she asked, enjoying looking at his bare tan skin. "You've really filled out" she mentioned. "Your arms, your back…" She allowed the sheet to drop just a tad.

He turned around and crawled back up next to her. The length of his tan skinned body was casually laid out next to her. "Look," he said "I…I think what happened…"His eyes flicked back and forth while he searched for the right words.

"Don't." She said. "I know you have to go out into the galaxy and do your life's work. I know you can't be here with me. It should really just make last night all the more enjoyable. It was a passing moment in time." Her heart was breaking. She knew she couldn't be with him then, and probably wouldn't be in the future. "When something good happens you can't worry about how it is going to slip away. You just need to be in the moment to enjoy it."

She couldn't know that he could sense her emotions with clarity. Though while she was feeling a bit tender and her heart a bit raw, he did not sense regret. He nodded, not totally convinced.

"Plus, I won't tell your red-headed beauty" she added teasing him.

He smiled. "I hope you're serious about that."

She laughed in response and said "Your secret is safe with me, as always."

He nodded, getting lost in his thoughts again. Taryn wanted to bring him back to her, even if only for a few moments longer. She said "You know, while you are a great jedi, a Master no less, you are still just a human man. Don't forget about this part of yourself. You need to nurture that as well."

Their eyes connected, and Taryn felt he really heard her words and would consider them.

There was a lull in conversation and they just lay there, both wrapped up in the sheets, naked, and languid. Taryn reached out first, allowing the tips of her fingers to caress his upper arm. She traced a line downward towards his real hand. When she reached his fingers he took hold of hers, examining her delicate hand.

"Before you go back out into the galaxy, have some fun" she said, coquettishly.

He looked at her hands, his blue eyes hiding his feelings. A small smirk curved one corner of his mouth and he said "I…I would love to, but, I can't. We've made a mi-"

"Don't say that!" snapped Taryn. She sat up and slid closer to him. She held his face in her small ands and made him look into her eyes. "I knew that this wasn't going anywhere. I've grown quite a bit as a woman. I understand how this galaxy works. It was not a mistake. You enjoyed it, I enjoyed it –"

"It's not that. Of course I enjoyed seeing you again, and speaking with you, and…well" he blushed just as he did years earlier and Taryn felt warmth in her heart, but sadness too.

She knew she couldn't keep him there. She let go and backed off. "Go. Find your woman." She rolled over and snuggled her pillow. "I'm sleeping late."

She felt him sitting awkwardly still there. "I better go" he said.

She nodded in her pillow feeling it would be a long time before she ever saw him again, yet, she was confident she would.


	3. Part 3: Maturity

Part 3: Maturity

Ben Skywalker pulled on some large leaves in some dense brush he and his father had landed in. He and his father were hiding from a pursuer and snuggled their ship under some tightly packed vegetation. There was a settlement nearby, but Luke and his son thought it best to stay away from it until their pursuers passed. Their dense brush appeared to be crops in a large amateur garden.

Ben used a blade and sliced a few broad leaves back to allow the doors of the Jade Shadow to open with more ease. Ben felt a presence, but wasn't surprised, nor threatened. He stood and turned to greet her. "Hello" he said."I'm sorry if this is your field. We're just passing through. I promise we're not here to harm anyone." Ben sensed some shock when he looked at the woman. "We're just peaceful travelers" he said.

The petite human woman nodded, her fair hair graying like his fathers. She was, come to think of it, probably his dad's age. "Are you traveling with your father?" she asked, as if she knew him.

"I...uh…" he stammered, assuming she then must have recognized him. Being the son of the galaxy's hero of Yavin and Grand Master of the Jedi did make him publicly recognizable to humans.

"Yes" said Luke, appearing in the entry ramp with a fresh smile and bright eyes.

Ben sensed his father's surprise and recognition.'…he recognizes her, but there's something else…' thought Ben.

"Taryn? What are you doing here?" asked the Grand Master. His smile stretched ear to ear and his hair was a bit ruffled, giving him a youthful look.

Ben realized it was to his father's _pleasant_ surprise.

"Luke…I…" she glanced at Ben then said "I mean, Master Skywalker…I've…it's been so long." She searched for words, and at a loss said "I've retired out here" she said awkwardly pointing a thumb back over her shoulder. "I tired of the city and…well…I had been out here a few times and…It's a long story." She bit her lip to stop grinning like a school girl and failed. She shrugged among the leafy plants and vines and said "I live here."

"In the brush?" Luke teased from a few steps over them.

Taryn smiled and laughed, almost wanting to cry. "No, the house on this land, silly. You landed in my yard." After a moment of her smiling at Luke, she said a bit dreamily "I knew I'd see you again."

Ben knew this woman was no simple villager, and just a tad resented that she held some secret special place in his father's heart. "Dad?" Ben raised his eyebrows asking his father to clue him in to who this woman was. His father's romantic interests were fairly public knowledge, but this woman was no one Ben had heard of.

His father's eyes looked a bit wistful, and when they pulled away from the stranger, he looked at Ben and said "I'm sorry. This is Taryn. An old friend from Tatooine." The Grand Master looked back at the woman who turned her attention to Ben.

Taryn extended a hand in greeting and Ben awkwardly clasped it, not used to the strange greeting. "Nice to meet you, Ben."

The teenager nodded his head in acknowledgment, wary of this woman from a past his father had never mentioned.

Luke chuckled at his son's reaction and said to Taryn "We'll be out of your hair pretty soon. We were being pursued by a few pirates. We just wanted to fly under the radar for a day and not deal with such conflict."

Taryn walked closer to her former lover on the Jade's ramp and unconsciously put her hand on Luke's forearm and said "No, don't be silly."

She looked at Ben who was becoming more and more irritated with this woman. She was, in his humble opinion, WAY too familiar with his father to _just_ be an old friend.

She said to him "I'd like if you both came to dinner at my house. Or even stay there if that would be more comfortable than your cruiser."

She looked up at Luke and he said to his son "That sounds really nice. What do you think, Ben?"

Ben wouldn't be rude, and looked forward to some home cooked food as opposed to the rations they had been eating on the ship. "Sure. Dinner sounds nice. We don't want to be a burden, though."

Taryn was pleased. "No burden, at all. It's been a while since I've had company. I look forward to having you."

"Well, I hope to hear some interesting stories about my dad then" joked Ben.

Taryn bit her lip and then laughed. "I probably don't know anything _that_ interesting. It was a rather dull planet, after all. There wasn't much trouble for your father to get into." Her hand dropped realizing she was holding onto him.

Luke said "Which home is yours? We'll freshen up before we head over."

Taryn then felt a dead weight in her stomach. 'What is he going to tell the kid?' She smiled none the less and understood he needed some father-son time. "I'm in the old fashioned red house. It has the black shudders and white roof.

Luke said "It sounds charming."

Taryn still loved to look at him. She couldn't stop smiling "Thank you. It will be all the more so once my guests arrive." She threw a glance at Ben and saw him looking a bit uncomfortable. "I'll leave you to it. I have a big dinner to prepare."

After she made her way back into the vines towards her house Ben looked up at his father and asked "Dad? Who was that, really? An old _friend_?" He shook his head.

Luke sighed "It was before your mother. We were both on Tatooine, met briefly, and then once more again years later." He looked to the hole in the leaves where she had left and said "I knew I would see her again, but…she's a good woman and I hope that you are courteous when we visit."

"Dad, what exactly was she to you?" Ben was really curious. This woman, who must have been quite pretty in her youth, was attractive still. They had been close, but his father was being vague. 'Is he actually hiding something from me?'

Luke sighed again and sat down on the landing ramp. He dangled his legs over the side and searched for the right way to explain his involvement with Taryn. He hesitated, then said "She once told me that while I am a Jedi, that I should remember that I'm merely a human man. She was a friend; A special friend who The Force seems to bring into my life whenever I have a lesson of a personal nature to learn or which I need to be reminded of."

Ben waited for more, but felt his father didn't reveal anything explicit. "…and…?" baited Ben struggling with the idea that his father might have had a secret he didn't share with anyone.

Luke looked at this son and said "And? Did I not answer your question?"

Ben backed off, trying to find the right words. "No…well…" Ben realized Luke had answered his question, but it wasn't the question he was actually trying to ask.

Luke sat expectant, waiting for his son to get to what he was really trying to ask, or to decide _not_ to ask it.

"Did…" Ben looked at the ground and stalled. He took a deep breath then just asked "Did you sleep with her?"

Luke was shocked his son would ask. He simply said "Yes."

Ben had intuited this, but was still shocked to hear it. "Really?"

Luke laughed. "Yes, Ben."

"It wasn't …while…you didn't…"

"It was well before your mother, and well before she cared about me" he chuckled.

"More than once? She was your girlfriend, then? Why hasn't the press been all over _this_ one?"

Luke wished he had thought of something clever instead of being so direct. "It was a long time ago. We weren't, exactly, a…" Luke sighed, never imagining he would have to explain this relationship to anyone, never the less, his son. "The press never picked up on it and believe it or not your Aunt Leia doesn't know _everything_ about my personal life."

Luke stood and turned to go back inside to freshen up a bit before dinner, but Ben's persistent curiosity continued. "So…one night stands? Really?"

Luke was losing patience. "Ben, it was a long time ago and I think I've said enough. It doesn't matter."

Ben nodded his understanding. "I'm sorry. I just was taken aback by all this. It really seems to have come out of the blue." Eager to return them both to good humor and said "I didn't know my dad was such a ladies man."

Luke rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I'll add it to the lesson plan. Come on, wash your face. You look like a farm hand."

Ben and his father walked out of the vegetation and could see a red house in the distance. There was a wide grassy swath of land and a quaint white picket fence around the house. They walked up, through the gate and the slight squeak it made alerted Taryn her guests had arrived. They strolled up a gray stone path and she appeared in the door with a big smile on her face. Ben felt a blush rise on his cheeks and he regretted asking his father such a personal question. He felt his father's reassuring hand on his shoulder as they walked up the wooden steps towards the door.

They walked up onto the porch and Taryn opened the door welcoming both her guests inside. Luke could sense that Taryn's house was full of love and good memories. There was not a shred of dark energy in sight. She offered them a seat on a plush couch just inside the door. She brought them some drinks, and a plate of warm appetizers. Luke said "You didn't have to go through all this trouble really."

With his mouth full Ben garbled what his father and Taryn assumed was "This tastes good!"

There was then a bell timer that went off in the kitchen beyond and Taryn popped out of her seat. Luke admired her figure, though it had changed. While she didn't have the lithe dancer's body Mara had at that age it was still pleasing to his eye and stirred the memory of youthful passion.

"Dinner is ready!" she pulled a steaming pan of roast nerf form the oven and asked them to sit at the dining room table.

Ben walked into the kitchen and asked if he could lend a hand.

"Thanks, Ben, but I got it."

He looked around at the steaming posts, at the roast and various other dishes. "Wow. Are you sure? This looks like a lot."

She drained the water from one pot and with ease stirred the contents into another which was coming down from a boil. "Don't worry. Just go take a seat. I'll be in with dinner in a second."

Ben reluctantly sat down. Luke sat on the side of a six person table. Ben took a seat next to his father. Luke called out "When did you become such a cook? You were a high powered executive when we last met."

She came in with a perfect roast nerf with a few slices already cut on a leafy bed of garnish. "I guess when I had more kids?" She put the platter down and shrugged. She went back into the kitchen and picked up a couple of side dishes and began talking "I had some time off from work" she rested the plates on the table "to have my next two children and found I had a knack for this kind of thing." She shrugged and went back to the kitchen.

Luke looked around and spied a family portrait taken years earlier. Taryn was the only person in the picture he recognized. A handsome man sat surrounded by two boys, a young man, and his dutiful wife stood behind him resting her hands on his shoulders. Luke looked at the picture as Taryn sat down.

"We were lucky in this area. The homes here weren't destroyed during the war" she said.

"But we're close to where it started" said Ben reaching for more of a whipped starchy side dish.

"It's had a while to get back to normal. My family was actually on vacation visiting Turney's family. Turney was my husband."

Ben swallowed some tasty morsels and asked "Oh, will we get to meet him?" The teenager immediately felt Taryn's grief.

She served herself some green beans native to the area and said, with ease "No, unfortunately, he has passed away. It was a little over a year ago."

Luke felt his heart get heavy on her behalf and he said "I'm sorry to hear that."

Taryn smiled, knowing he was sincere about her loss. "Thank you. It was a heart attack. He just fell over one day and that was that. The boys still come by and I'm a grandmother a few times over, but I'll admit I miss him."

Ben sheepishly pushed his mashed thick roots around his plate and said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Ben" she said dashing a bit of salt on her food. "It was bound to come up sooner or later. He lived a good life."

Ben looked to his father to continue the conversation. Luke "Did you sell your business?" asked Luke.

"No, I'm no longer the CEO though. I'm a chairperson and have say in the company's direction, but I don't run the day to day stuff. I just have an occasional holo-conference."

Ben asked "So what keeps you busy?" before he took another bite.

"My family visits often. I never know when the boys will just drop in with their kids. When it's actually quiet I like to catch up on my reading and I do some painting."

Ben nodded while he listened. 'Wow, so mundane.'

Luke pushed his food around and said "Sounds wonderful" and Ben knew he meant it.

"I bet it doesn't sound all that exciting to the Grand Master or his Knighted son, but it keeps me busy" said Taryn taking a sip of berry juice.

Luke swallowed his food and said "Sometimes I wish for a life like that." He chuckled as he tried to decide what to taste next "Frequently I wish for a life like that."

Ben shook his head. "I don't think I'll _ever_ wish for a life like that."

Luke was afraid at firs that he had offended Taryn, and began to chide him "Ben!"

Taryn laughed. "It's okay" she smiled "He's a young man, full of energy and ready for adventure. If he has Skywalker blood I'm sure that adventure will find him."

"I'd like to see your paintings if you wouldn't mind sharing them" said Luke.

Taryn grimaced. "They're not much to look at. I do it because it feels good, more than for the end result."

She pushed her food around sheepishly and Ben watched his father. Luke was smitten. His father's presence in the force was lighter, brighter. His current troubles of exile and Sith were lifted.

Ben said "I'd like to see them too."

Taryn smiled and Ben suppressed his own affection for this 'old friend' of his fathers. He was finding he didn't resent her so much.

Their host said "Well…if the two of you really want to, I'd be a rude hostess to say no."

"After dinner then?" asked Luke.

"No" said Taryn quite serious. Luke and Ben exchanged a quick glance and Taryn softened, winked and said "After dessert."

Taryn led the jedi outside and around the back of her house. The sun had set and the sky was full of bright stars and a single full moon. Ben looked up and said "I love Coruscant, but I never tire of looking up and seeing the stars laid out like that."

Luke nodded and said "I know exactly what you mean."

Taryn said over her shoulder "Me too. Tatooine was never quite dark enough for such a show of stars." She turned and looked up at the night sky continuing by taking a few steps backwards. "Gorgeous."

Luke looked at her, bathed in moonlight, her skin glowing and her fair hair holding a halo of the nights light. "Yes, gorgeous."

She naturally looked at him as she felt his gaze and blushed. She turned back on the path and brought them to an open garage in the back of the house. She opened the doors manually, with the help of Ben, and the travelers were presented with a makeshift painting studio.

As they entered Taryn explained "It used to be a garage for our speeders, but we built an extra one separately from the house for the boys. Once they moved out Turney converted this space into a studio for me.

Luke nodded and said "He loved you quite a bit."

Taryn said "He did. He really did."

Luke didn't ask if she returned the affection. It didn't matter to him. That was a private relationship and he felt a bit guilty for even making any assumptions about them.

As Taryn removed some covers she explained her paintings, mostly landscapes. She talked about the local places where she had painted them and what kinds of paints she had used.

Ben admitted he really liked them and was impressed with some of her techniques. The night stretched on and soon the young jedi was yawning. Luke looked at his son and said "Maybe it's time we headed to sleep."

Taryn said "I have a few empty beds upstairs and I can bring you fresh towels for the fresher-"

Luke looked pained but said "Thank you, but I think it's probably better if we slept in the Jade."

"Dad?" said Ben, surprised. After observing the two together he understood their relationship. 'You can't always be with the ones you love, but it doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the short moments you do have' he thought. This was all the more reason Ben thought they should stay at least a little closer that night.

Luke looked at his son and said "We've stayed long enough. We need to get back to the ship. Those pirates are probably gone by now and we need to get up and out early tomorrow morning." Luke turned to a very disappointed Taryn. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. It really was wonderful to see you again."

She managed a smile and took his hands. Ben noticed his father's shoulders tense ever so slightly. Taryn said "The pleasure was mine."

As Luke walked with Ben back towards the ship across the grassy field Luke could sense Ben's tense mood. "Son?" Luke kept his eyes on the stars as they walked, unwilling to miss a moment of their light.

"Yes, father?" Ben, was focused on the ground watching his boots squash the grasses beneath his feet.

"What's on your mind?" Luke folded his arms into his Jedi robes and waited for his son's reply.

"I liked her. I can see why you would too."

"I'm glad." Luke could sense there was more.

"You should…you should be with her tonight."

Luke's eyebrows jumped at the statement, but otherwise kept up his pace. "No. That time has passed."

Ben stopped walking, forcing his father to face him. "Dad, you taught me that as a Jedi you meet a great number of people across the galaxy; some that you despise and some who bring special light into your life. But as a Jedi you sometimes have to leave them behind whether you want to or not."

"That's correct. Our call to duty is sometimes nomadic, and not so stationary" said Luke, confirming his son's words.

"But, dad…you need to take advantage the moments you do have with the ones you love. While it may be only one night of brilliant stars here, or one afternoon there, don't toss it away just because it's not forever!"

Luke looked down at the grass. "Jedi should have no desire for—"

"Dad! I'm not talking about being a Jedi right now. I'm talking about being a happy person. A happy man. If you don't go back and have a great night with her right now –"

Luke looked at his son with a bit of irritation and Ben quickly slipped in "A great night of lengthy deep conversation, of course, then I'm going to question your teachings."

"How so?" Luke was amused at his son's determination. "Jedi need to let go of their personal desires, Ben."

Ben was serious though and said "How can you ever let go of something which you don't hold dear?"

Luke nodded, considering his son's question. He soon found himself standing at the gate of her house wondering how he would explain his return to her home.

Taryn sat inside waiting for a cup of tea to cool. She signed looking at her reading selection on a data pad. She didn't want to read that night. Then she heard her gate squeak. Her eyes darted up and she wondered who was coming to the door. There was a polite knock.

It was summer time in her province and the air was a bit thick with humidity. She had left the inside door open so the cool night air would flow through the outer screen door. She stood up and walked over to see who was calling on her this time of night.

Luke stood in her door, waiting politely to be invited in. Taryn stood behind the screen door smiling coyly at her returned guest. "Is everything okay, Grand Master Jedi?"

Luke sighed, then looked up at her with a smirk of his own. "Things could be better."

They stood and stared at each other allowing the sweet scent of the night air to waft around them. The sounds of the crickets were distant and somewhat musical. Taryn felt her senses heighten and the sound of the screen door was deafening as she opened it up to allow in her old lover.

Their eyes were locked, and nothing stood between them. Luke stepped close and slid his arm around her waist pulling her close to his body. They kissed and both felt like young humans again.

Taryn felt a little light headed as she felt his hands slide over her curves. They were hungry for each other and stood, kissing, caressing, and reminding each other what it felt to be in each other's arms again.

Taryn backed off, always the one to take the lead, and slid her hand down into his. She took a few steps backwards towards the steps in her house, and led him up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Luke noticed a few new things this time around. Not just things she did with him, but there was even a deeper affection for him. They were mature lovers. They had a lifetime of experiences to bring to each other, as well as trust, and admiration. Taryn could change her job a hundred times, but Luke would always see how she brought resilience, charm, and love to wherever she was and whatever she was doing. Taryn knew Luke as the sweet and unconditionally generous soul she always knew.

They finished their love making and Taryn found him to be more relaxed than he had been the first and the second time they met. He held her in his arms and they both gazed out the windows next to the large bed. She stroked his chest and teased "So, no anxiety?"

Luke smirked, thinking of his first time with her. "Nope."

"No guilt?" she asked.

"Nope" he replied. "I'm just enjoying the moment. Taking your advice from the last time."

"It's been a long time and I'm an old woman now. You'll have to refresh my memory" she poked his ribs and he laughed.

"You reminded me I'm a human man. I need to experience the special pleasures that come along with that and I have the patience to do that now." He looked down at her, the blue moonlight making her look as youthful as when they first met. He chuckled "I'm an old man now, after all."

"You sure don't move like one" she said, getting frisky again, sliding her hand down under the covers. They freely enjoyed each other again and fell into a deep restful sleep.

In the morning, Luke woke up to find his arms empty and the fresh smell of a cooking breakfast downstairs.

He sat up and looked at the blankets swirled around on the bed and the sun was pouring midmorning light through the windows. He stepped into her fresher for a quick few minutes. Afterwards he dressed and headed back down the stairs with a bounce in his step. He suppressed a blush when he sensed Ben waiting for him in the dining room.

Taryn was dressed and decent, and serving Ben a plate of eggs and breakfast meats. Luke smiled at the domestic scene and for a moment had a longing for a normal human life, but the desire was a mere fantasy, and fleeting. He took a seat at the table and said good morning to his son, and Taryn.

Luke knew Ben knew what had happened. "So, Ben, I see you didn't hesitate to take advantage of Taryn's cooking once more before we leave."

He sensed her upset only briefly.

"So soon?" she said as she came from the kitchen. "That's disappointing" she said, laying a plate of steaming food in front of him.

"I'm afraid so" he said looking up at her.

She smiled and said "Well, it was wonderful to see you once again, regardless of how short our time together was." She looked over at Ben and said "And it was an honor to meet you, Ben."

"My pleasure" he said with a full mouth.

She laughed as she was reminded of her other sons when they were teenage boys. Many of her memories entailed them talking with food in their mouths. "I understand you guys have to be on your way, but take your time." She headed back to the kitchen and called over her shoulder "and Ben, don't choke on your food. Chew it."

Luke and Ben finished their meal and the two men prepared to leave. Taryn walked them out the door and down the path to the gate. Ben thanked her again for her hospitality and headed across the grassy field to where their ship was hidden.

Luke turned to Taryn and said "Until next time?"

Taryn looked sad. "I think we both know there won't be a next time."

Luke could feel it too. This was their final meeting, but he wasn't sad. He was glad he had known her and that they were able to share and learn during the limited time. He thought back over the years, and while they met sporadically, he saw her as very important to him. Very important to his growth, and how he saw the galaxy as a human man.

He took her hand and looked in her eye. "Thank you."

There was so much he wanted to say, but he wasn't the orator his sister was and couldn't find the words. But when he looked in her eyes he saw she already understood. She smiled and squeezed his hand in response, and he left through the gate, across the grassy field, and back to his ship.

The End.


End file.
